Clean Up Duty
by Moon's-Wing
Summary: Ichiruki. Rukia POV. Starts after Ichigo slays his first Hollow, aka, Rukia's first night without shinigami powers. Kind of accidentally combined manga and anime, so I apologize for any confusion.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: If I may, I'd like to dedicate this one to my very first stalkers, dragonlady222 and girlof1000nicknames. There were times I was writing just for you two.

To all, enjoy the ride.

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Rukia watched as the teen fell forward to kiss the pavement. 'Passed out? I suppose you actually are human,"she thought, temporarily forgetting the pain of her sliced shoulder. She received an angry reminder when she tried to push herself up, though. She hissed from the pain.

"Have you everything under control?" a voice asked.

She spun around, shivering a bit from the cold. There was a man and a small girl. "Who are you?" she demanded, making her voice as threatening as she could muster.

"I am Urahara Kisuke. I own a shop nearby."

Rukia's eyes went wide. "You're..."

"Yes. But that is not of too much importance, I hope? I can give you a hand cleaning up this boy's mess, if you would like...?" he gestured for a name.

As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't have much of a choice. "Kuchiki. Kuchiki Rukia. I would appreciate some assistance, thank you."

"Wonderful! Ururu, would you go back to the store and get a few memory replacement devices?"

The dark-haired girl nodded, and parted.

"Let's start by getting this boy back into his body, hmm?"

"How... much did you see?"

"We saw the boy try to sacrifice himself to the hollow, then you bravely rescue him," Kisuke replied, sheathing Ichigo's sword and lifting his unconscious spirit form to his body. "Do you think he should remember?"

"He has to," the woman replied. "Whether he wants to or not, I need him to do my job until I heal."

"Ah! Of course!" the blonde replied, slipping soul back into body. Ururu returned. "Oh, good! Get the boy's sister, will you?" Kisuke asked her. She nodded again, and the two took the bodies inside. "Do you know which rooms are theirs, Kuchiki-san?"

"I know Ichigo's, I happened to enter the house by his room," she added quickly. "I do not know where the girl's rooms are."

All bedrooms were eventually found, and three out of four memories erased and replaced.

"And now you, Kuchiki-san," Urahara continued. "You'll be needing a gigai, yes?"

She nodded. "Thank you for your help tonight. I will reimburse you as soon as I am able."

"Now, now, of course! I am not worried! Come now, there are more important things to ponder. Such as, where will you be staying?"

"I hadn't given it much thought."

"Well, you are more than welcome to stay at the store."

"Some place I can stick close to him would be preferable. I never know when I'll get an order. I'll need a way to get him out of that body of his at a moment's notice. Oh, and I'll need to be attending the same school he is for a time."

"Of course, of course! We can make all the arrangements for you, right Ururu?"

The girl nodded. Rukia was beginning to wonder if the child could speak.

"That boy's room," Kisuke continued. "It has a rather large closet, don't you think? Far larger than a simple teenager like him would ever need."

"Are you insinuating I should stay in his closet, Urahara?"

"You did say you wanted to stay close, Kuchiki-san."

And as much as the woman hated to admit it, his sister's closets were likely full of clothes that would fit her as well. With a stubborn sigh, she nodded her agreement.

"I'm afraid we don't have any replacement souls at the moment, but I have an alternative that should work nicely."

"Thank you. For all your help."

"It's no trouble, Kuchiki-san! I promise you!"

After grabbing a dress and pajamas (and a couple books that looked interesting) from one of Ichigo's sisters, Rukia followed Urahara back to his store for the gigai. She ran the whole way back, seeing the sun start to make it's way over the horizon.

She got back in through the enormous hole in the wall, carefully making her way back upstairs so not to wake anyone. Almost immediately after closing Ichigo's door behind her, she heard one of the girls waking up, walking down the hallway with a yawn. 'I must have just missed her,' she thought. 'Lucky.'

Just then, the cause of all her night's trouble shifted in his sleep. She froze, hoping he wouldn't wake up. He didn't, and she found herself walking over to the bed.

'He looks so peaceful asleep. But then, I suppose most do.' She smiled softly, then leaned towards him to whisper what she definitely wasn't going to say when he did wake. "You did well today, Ichigo. Enjoy your sleep while you can. You won't be getting very much for awhile." She stood straight again, then turned to go into the closet.

The sun was over the horizon; she wouldn't be sleeping. Instead, she neatly tucked the pajamas and books into a corner where she could find them later.

While she was doing so, someone burst into the room. "Gooooood moooorrnnniiiing, Iiiiichigoooo!!" Then there was a crash.

She hoped no one was hurt, but she dare not come out of the darkened corner on the floor.

"What kind of sick freak attacks his own son in his sleep?!" she heard her new charge demand.

'His son?'

"Not bad, boy! I have nothing left to teach you!"

'Teach him? That would explain why he's already so strong physically...'

"Hey, where are your wounds?"

Rukia barely held back her snicker. 'Nothing gets by him...'

"Wounds? What wounds? Did I get hurt?"

"Say what?" Ichigo asked. His 'father' brought him downstairs then. She took the opportunity to slide the closet door shut, save for a crack, but could practically hear Ichigo's brain snapping from where she was a few moments later. She almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

When he came back upstairs, she could hear the sound of bones cracking. The yawn that followed told her he was stretching. She'd deny it to the day she died (again), but she peeked through the crack she'd allowed herself.

"Dammit, why'd Dad have to wake me up so early?" he muttered, switching on some music. Or what he seemed to call music.

She wouldn't deny, at least to herself, that he was attractive. But it was only then, as he was pulling clothes out drawers, that she realized something. Whether it was important or not remained to bee seen, but this human almost completely resembled Kaien-dono, the former vice-captain of her squad... now deceased.

Resembled, but Kaien-dono he definitely was not.

Kaien-dono would realize if he was being spied on. Ichigo was disgustingly oblivious.

And beautifully shirtless.

She looked away, a flush on her cheeks, wondering briefly what he would say if he saw her there. The 'music' covered up the giggle that escaped.

She felt like such a girl.

Especially when she peered back out into the room.

Ichigo was dressed now, flipping through a magazine on his bed. Suddenly, it was as if he remembered something, jolting up and turning the music off. He grabbed a small vase with a single flower in it, carefully put it in his bag, then practically flew out the door. Rukia followed as quietly as she could.

While was in the kitchen talking to his sisters, she took the opportunity to get out through the back door. Using the directions from Urahara, she ran towards the school, hoping the store owner had kept his word.

He had. Everyone in the school's office was expecting her, and 'luckily,' they said, there was an unused uniform on hand that she could use, but books might take a bit longer; she could share with someone in class until then. Receiving a class schedule, she wondered if any of her classes were with Ichigo.

When she entered the class, plenty of people said hello to her, and she made sure to be cordial, but no Ichigo. Part of her was disappointed.

Then she heard two girls discussing him before third period near her seat. "What's so great about him, Orihime?" the darker-haired girl was asking. "He's got tweaked out hair, rude, immature, short-tempered... a girl with boobs like yours could do better."

Did they know the same Ichigo? The Ichigo she'd met the night before was rather rude, but also brave, loyal to his-

"He may be absent today," a newcomer told them. "Ichigo, that is."

"How come, Mizuru?" the dark-haired girl asked him. "You usually come to school with him, don't you?"

"Yeah, but when I stopped by his place this morning, there was a big hole in his house. His dad said a big truck plowed into it in the middle of the night."

"A truck?!" she repeated, obviously concerned. "So?! Is he hurt?! Or maybe... dead?"

"Alive," an annoyed tone stated, as a book bag hit her head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we all survived."

"Ichigo!" the girl with the boobs greeted him. "G-Good morning!"

"You're happy as usual, Orihime."

"You're here," 'Mizuru stated. "Weren't you fixing your house?"

Rukia couldn't believe it.

"For awhile. What's third period?"

The idiot actually didn't notice her sitting -right there.-

"Contemporary Events."

Time to take matters into her own hands. Literally, as she scribbled on one.

"Miss Ochi. She won't ask annoying questions."

"Are you Kurosaki?" she asked sweetly, though no where near as sweet as the look on his face. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh!" Mizuru said. "This is Kuchiki Rukia. It's an unusual time to transfer, but her family had to move."

"Kurosaki-kun, I don't have any books yet. Would you mind sharing yours with me?"

Then Ichigo's gaze fell on her hand. That girl with the boobs was right. His expressions were priceless.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wasn't sure if this was gonna see an update or not for awhile! ; I thought about adding som Hitsugaya action in, but I think this will stay ichiruki and away from the perverted core of my brain. I'm gonna keep it going until either Rukia goes back with Renji and Byakuya, or until the end of the Soul Society arc. I'm not sure which yet. I don't do well in Rukia's head at the present time, and being in her head while in solitary confinement would be tricky, but hey, maybe I'll know her a bit better by then, lol.

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At lunch, it Ichigo had a few words for Rukia. That was fine. She had some for him too.

"Such a secluded place," she teased him. "What's on your mind, Big Boy?"

"Don't say stuff like that!" he yelled back. "It's disgusting!"

What, was he gay or something? "Disgusting? How rude. I spent the whole night learning colloquialisms!" More like the half hour before school started, but he didn't need to know that…

"Shut up! Explain why you're here!"

Wait. "Explain?" she repeated.

"That's right! Isn't your work here finished?!" he continued to yell. "Why are you sneaking into my class? Why didn't you go back to that Soul Society!?"

Oh, right. He passed out. "I'd have to be a Soul Reaper to go back to Soul Society. I can't go back just now."

"What? Why not?"

None of this was ringing any bells? "Because I lost all my powers."

"What are they, socks?! Where did they go?!"

"Inside you," she reminded him, trying not to smirk as it seemed to come together in his head. "You've become a shinigami.. Last night, you stole all my powers from me. I can only do a few kido now, and I have to rely on this embarrassing gigai."

"Gi-wha?"

Isn't it obvious? "A temporary body shinigami use in emergencies."

"It looks human."

"It has to. I'd be easy prey without my powers, so I have to disguise myself as a human."

"Well… What does a powerless shinigami want with me?"

Finally, the point. "Until I regain my powers, you have to do the work of a shinigami."

"WHAT?!"

Was it really that surprising? "What's the problem? You have the powers of a shinigami now. And I'll help you. You have no choice since this really is all your-"

"NO WAY!!"

"Excuse me?"

"I said 'no way!' I don't want to face any more of those monsters." He started to walk away.

That just wouldn't do. "Wait a second! You-"

"I fought that thing yesterday to save my family! I'm not gonna fight those things for total strangers! Sorry to disappoint you."

Rukia, despite her demeanor, did not like resorting to over-the-top, in-your-face measures. But she was so very tired from her night, and was now pissed off on top of that. "Very well," she said. "You leave me no choice." Pulling on the glove she'd gotten from Urahara, she charged for him.

Ichigo, hearing her coming, turned, brown eyes widening. "What're you-" he started to asked, but was cut off as the woman's hand hit his chin, forcing out his soul. "What the hell?!"

"You," Rukia said, pouring all the venom she felt into the word. "Come with me."

Whether it was his resemblance to Kaien-dono or not, Rukia very much felt Ichigo should feel some sort of shame for acting the way he was. And if this was the only way to show him that, so be it.

After double-checking her soul pager for the location, she lead him to the park.

"Why…"

"Just wait," she told him impassively. "It shouldn't be long."

"What won't be long?! It's been 20 minutes already!!"

"Do souls come to this park?"

"One."

Thank goodness for his short attention span. "Who?"

"A boy, about five years old."

"A friend?"

"No, I just saw him a couple times. So what's the big deal?"

Perfect. She shoved her soul pager in his direction.

"What's this?"

"An order from Soul Society. 12 pm, plus or minus 15 minutes. Within a 20 meter radius of Yumizawa Children's Park. A hollow will appear. Most likely, it will attack the boy." She glanced down, seeing his shocked expression. Excellent.

Right on cue, a child's scream of terror was heard. Obviously on instinct, Ichigo's hand went for his (technically her) sword. She wondered idly if he could hear Sode No Shirayuki's voice. It didn't seem likely.

"WAIT!" she yelled. He turned his head to look at her. "He's a complete stranger, isn't he? Why are you helping him?"

"Are you crazy?! I can't just stand here watch that thing eat him!"

"Before your eyes, or out of sight, they're going to be attacked either way!" Imbecile.

His head turned toward the boy as he tripped.

"Don't help him!" she warned. "Even if you save him now, he'll just get eaten later unless you do my job! You'd save him just because you happen to be nearby?! That's not how it works! A shinigami must be fair to all souls! Only saving them when it's convenient won't do! Don't you dare help that child unless you can commit! If you save him now, you must try to save them all! Be willing to go anywhere! Even willing to sacrifice yourself for them!"

A sort of realization appeared to cross the new shinigami's face. He raised his sword, hacking off a leg on the Hollow.

"Ichigo… you made your decision?"

"Will you shut up?! " he hollered in reply, slamming the blade into the ground, and in turn scaring the boy, who happened to have fallen right next to the spot. "I don't buy all that self-sacrifice and commitment crap! I helped him because I was here! What are you gonna do about it?!"

"What?!"

"What about you?!" he continued, pointing a finger she very much wanted to break. "You sacrificed yourself last night to save me! Was that just your duty as a shinigami?! Duty is no reason to sacrifice yourself! At least, not for me!!" he continued, slamming the sword straight into the Hollow's skull when it tried to approach him again.

Noisy bastard.

"I'm not ready to commit to this. Hell, I might just run the next time things get hectic. I can't promise I'll always be willing to risk my life for a stranger…. But…. I know I owe you a large debt!! And I'm not a total scum bag!! I'll help you out with this shinigami job of yours…. But I won't enjoy it."

Not the answer she wanted, but…

Perhaps there was a bit of Kaien-dono in this boy after all, she mused, watching him stomp back towards the school. It just needs a bit of a push….

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So push she did. She dragged him back to the park for training right after school.

While she indulged in one of the books she'd 'borrowed' from Ichigo's sisters.

"I know all about it, my sister!" she read aloud, so far into the story she didn't notice she was doing so. "It's hidden in that box, isn't it? The jade box that mother gave you. Give me that box, my sister Marianne! Go on! No! Don't open that box! Francoise!! Nooo!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"EEEK!" Rukia jumped a foot into the air at Ichigo's voice. "Ohh! You scared me! I'm studying the contemporary vernacular of this world!!" she tried to cover.

"You were not," he replied, easily seeing through her. "You were reading a stupid horror comic while I was training my shinigami butt off? Where'd you find it, anyway?"

"Huh?" she asked, once again taking advantage of that short attention span. "You finished your training?"

"I hit these stupid pepper ball a hundred times, right? I'm done! What's this supposed to accomplish, anyway? And where'd you get this weird pitching machine?"

As if it mattered. "Fool! Only the wrong balls had pepper in them!"

"Wrong balls?" Ichigo repeated.

"Yes!"

He stared at her.

Rukia stared back.

Oh no. "You didn't… hit every single one, did you?"

"Yes!" he proclaimed, looking very pleased with himself.

"You idiot!" the woman roared. "I told you to only hit the balls with heads!! What's the point of the exercise?!"

"How should I know?!" he yelled back, matching her tone. "And it's impossible to tell heads from hands the way you draw!!"

Again with the drawing remarks. Jackass! "Listen! The head is a hollow's weak spot! One good whack will split it open like a melon! This training will help you crack heads with precision, whatever the situation!"

"Why do I gatta do that? I've been beating' 'em just fine."

"Fool!" Rukia was beginning to appreciate her teachers more. "When did you ever defeat a hollow with one blow!? Approaching from behind and killing with one blow is the essence of hollow hunting! It's a miracle that you've survived fighting them as you have!"

Ichigo growled. "Hitting them from behind is unfair, I can't do it!"

Nobility checks in now, of all times? "Save the code of bushido for human foes! Hollows are your prey! Fairness doesn't apply here! That kind of thinking will get you killed!"

A downcast look crossed the teen's face. "I… I just…"

"HI, ICHIGO!!"

And Rukia had her second heart attack of the day. But it was ok. Ichigo had one this time too. She watched as the new girl and he greeted each other, then the newcomer noticed her.

"Rukia?"

"Huh? Do I know you?"

"Idiot!" Ichigo hissed at her. "She's Inoue Orihime! She's in our class!"

Eek! In our class!? "Well, hello, Miss Inoue. How do you do, my dear?" she asked with a small curtsy, just as she had read in the books.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," the girl replied with a curtsy of her own.

"Hey," Ichigo suddenly said. "Your arm… what happened? You fall again?"

"Oh, this?" she asked, pointing at the bandaged arm. "No! I was run over!"

"Run over?! By a car?!"

Rukia almost giggled at his reaction.

"Yeah. I went out to buy a drink last night and- BAM! I've been getting run over a lot lately. Hee hee."

"No 'hee hee!' That's serious! Aren't you upset?!"

"But they didn't hit me on purpose…"

"Does Orihime get hurt a lot?" Rukia asked, concern growing in her mind.

"Almost every day!" Ichigo told her.

"I day dream," Orihime added sheepishly.

"Don't be so casual about it!"

'Hm," the dark-haird woman thought. 'Maybe she is just clumsy…' Then her eye caught sight of the other's leg. It had a dark bruise… Either it was a bruise, or…

"May I take a look at your leg?"

"Huh? Oh, that? Sure. Go ahead."

While she continued to talk, the shinigami's gaze narrowed. "There's not doubt…"

Suddenly, Orihime knelt a bit, covering the mark. "Rukia? " she asked. "Why are you looking like that?

"Huh? Oh, nothing!" she tried to laugh it off. "It just looks so painful!"

"How did you know?!" the girl asked, seemingly amazed. "My leg hurts worse than my arm!"

"Really!?" Ichigo asked. "Maybe it's paralyzed or something?! You should go to the doctor!"

"Huh? Um…"

"Why are you blushing?"

'Wow,' the female shinigami thought. 'He just brought clueless to a whole new level.'

"Oh, no!" Orihime suddenly declared. "I'm late!"

"In a hurry?" the male teen asked.

"Yes!" she replied, running off. "Shoten's gonna start!"

"Ya gonna be ok? I can walk you home…"

"N-No!" she stuttered. "I'm fine!"

"Okay! See you tomorrow then!"

"Um, okay! See you tomorrow!"

"Phew," Ichigo sighed after the girl had left. "Just watching her makes me tired. Hope she's all right."

"That girl… are you two close?" Rukia asked him.

"Not real- well, kinda, I guess. She's best friends with someone I've known since 6th grade."

"Any siblings?"

"Just one. She had a brother, a lot older."

She forced her voice to stay steady. "Had?"

"He died three years ago."

Everything was adding up. Shit.

"I remember because I opened the door. I was just about to leave for school. A girl came in carrying her brother on her back, saying it was a car accident. We didn't have the equipment to save him." His voice grew quiet. Rukia briefly wondered why she had the patience to listen to the story. Patience definately wasn't a virtue for her.. "He died while we were arranging his transfer to a big hospital. So… well, recently I found out that little girl with the brown hair was her. What's with all the questions?" he added suddenly. "Are you worried about her?"

"No," she replied, deadpan. "I'm not worried." Concerned. There's a difference.

"Hey! Hey! What's wrong!?"

"Come on," she said, ignoring him. "We're going home too."

There was a pause while she walked, then, "Hey… where do you go home to? You have a home around here?"

She smirked. It was a question she was ready for. Whipping around, she asked, "Does my private life interest you?"

"As if!" he yelled predictably. "Not in the least."

"Then don't ask." She whipped back around, continuing to walk with a smirk, despite the fuming reiatsu behind her. "Later."


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